PUB00100

• Year: 1992
• Title: An Analysis of Water Salvage Issues in Colorado
• Author: CWCB
• Description: An Analysis of Water Salvage Issues in Colorado
• Publications - Doc Type: Water Resource Studies

III, Federal Programs Resulting in Salvage

HB 91-1154 directed that this analysis be limited to "water salvage which may result from
federal programs, including salinity control." This limitation probably reflects the fact that
irrigation efficiency improvements are already being installed in the Colorado River basin
by the Federal Salinity Control Program, Participants in the salinity program were uncertain
as to the effect these improvements would have on their water rights, HB 91-1110 was an
attempt to clarify the status of their water rights after salinity improvements are made, and
to grant participants a state recognized right to claim and transfer water no longer necessary
for diversion as a result of the salinity program,

Another reason for limiting the salvage analysis to that resulting from federal programs
may have been a belief that a saved water right could thereby be limited to the Western
Slope, The major U,S, Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) projects, including the Colorado-Big
Thompson and Fry-Ark, make their diversions on the West Slope, During debate on HB
91-1110 it became clear that the bill would be more acceptable if it did not apply statewide,
The Arkansas and South Platte River basins were presented as extremely over-appropriated
areas with extensive reliance on return flows, By excluding these basins, but avoiding the
appearance of special legislation, the bill's chances were presumed to be improved,

Federal programs do have significant potential for generating saved or salvaged water as
described below, The extent of those programs is very broad however, potentially reaching
all comers of the State,

A Federal Salinity Program

The Federal Salinity Control program was developed as a cooperative effort of state and
federal agencies to manage high salt concentrations in the Colorado River. Salinity was a
concern because of delivery obligations to Mexico, and also because it could interfere with
beneficial uses of water in the basin states, particularly in California and Arizona, The
program was established by the Salinity Control Act of 1974 and amended in 1984, 43
U,S.c. Sections 1571-1599. The primary federal salinity activities with regards to irrigation
are construction of improved delivery systems by the USBR, and improved on-farm
irrigation systems designed and partially funded by the Soil Conservation Service (SCS),
Participation in either of these programs is entirely voluntary, In general USBR is lining
large canals and replacing leaky main ditches, SCS is helping farmers to better manage and
deliver water once it arrives on-farm with sprinkler systems and lined farm laterals. Both
activities are designed to reduce salt load into the Colorado River by reducing the deep
percolation which causes highly saline return flows in certain geographic areas, In Colorado
those areas include the Grand Valley on the Colorado River, the Uncompahgre Valley in
the lower Gunnison Basin, and the McElmo Creek area near Cortez, Colorado, The salinity
control program also has procedures for addressing municipal and industrial salt discharges
through state water quality regulation,

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